- AI Advancements Echo Early Social Media Optimism
- Concerns Over AI’s Potential Impact and Misuse
- Balancing Enthusiasm and Guardrails in AI Development
Microsoft president Brad Smith told a business forum on Friday that rapid advancements in artificial intelligence risked repeating errors made by the technology sector at the dawn of the social media era.
Rapid AI advancements have sparked global concern over the technology’s potential for disinformation, misuse, and labor market disruption.
However, Smith suggested that the creators of the potentially revolutionary technology did not share these concerns, as their optimism reminded him of the early years of social media platforms.
During that time, the tech industry “became a little too euphoric about all the good things that social media would bring to the world — and there have been many — without also considering the risks,” he said.
“We must have a clear vision, be enthusiastic about the opportunities, but be thoughtful, and perhaps even concerned, about the risks. And we must build the guardrails from the beginning,” he added.
Concerns and enthusiasm have been generated by the potential for AI to enhance or replace human labor.
In recent months, AI tools have demonstrated the ability to generate essays, create realistic images, imitate the voices of renowned singers, and even pass medical exams, among other applications.
However, there are also concerns that chatbots could deluge the internet with false information, that biased algorithms will produce racist content, and that AI-powered automation could destroy entire industries.
This week, the United Nations released a report stating that artificial intelligence is more likely to augment occupations than to eliminate them, but that the technology will alter work intensity and worker autonomy.
It was also stated that the effects of technology would differ widely across professions and regions, with clerical workers being the most susceptible to change and women being more likely than men to have their jobs affected.
Smith stated that it was evident that the general public “wants assurance that this new technology will remain under human control.”
Michael Miebach, the chief executive officer of Mastercard, stated that businesses must develop trust in the use of the technology and address issues such as AI bias.
However, he also stated that he believed the risks associated with artificial intelligence were “not new” and should not impede the development of the technology.
“Naturally, regulation will lag,” he stated. However, this should not hold us down.
Both men spoke alongside other global industry leaders at a meeting in New Delhi that serves as a prelude to the G20 summit in the Indian capital next month.
